Sri Lanka win with a ball to spare
Dasun Shanaka celebrates Sri Lanka's win over India. © AFP
It's an excellent final over from Arshdeep to try and defend just 7. He did brilliantly but Bhuvneshwar wasn't up to the mark with his wide yorkers in the 19th and that left the youngster with too much to do. He tried with a slew of yorkers but Sri Lanka had enough experience to see them over the line.
What a turnaround for them after the thrashing in the first game against Afghanistan. Now they've won two from two in the Super Four and have one foot in the final of the Asia Cup. An excellent partnership from Shanaka and Rajapaksa after Sri Lanka lost 4 for 13.
India are on the brink of elimination. They will be officially eliminated if Pakistan beat Afghanistan tomorrow. They've been on a good run in T20 cricket but their balance has been dented severely post that Jadeja injury. They've sorely missed Bumrah and Harshal Patel there and they'll rue the inexperience in their seam-bowling department. They still have a game to go and a couple of series coming up against Australia and South Africa so there is time for fine-tuning still. But back to the drawing board for Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid! Five bowlers are not working. India will need a sixth bowling option, an extra seamer. But with Jadeja not playing, it's likely to leave them weak in the batting if they have Bhuvneshwar as a No.7 batter considering their high-risk approach to batting.
Advantage Sri Lanka 21 off 12 needed
Rohit had a call to make with one over each of Hardik, Arshdeep and Bhuvneshwar left. He gave the 18th to Hardik, who actually started the over by mixing it up well. Shanaka got an outside past Pant for a four and then got under a short ball to pull it away for six over fine-leg. 12 runs off the over.
Two crucial sixes
Rajapaksa slogs a six each off Chahal and Ashwin and Sri Lanka are back in striking range. India have 2 off Arshdeep, 1 from Bhuvneshwar and Pandya each.
Sri Lanka four down now
They've lost 4 for 13 after that 97-run opening stand. Ashwin has taken out the in-form Gunathilaka caught at long-off. Chahal then raps Mendis plumb in front of the stumps with his slider. The half-centurion is gone and India are slowly creeping in to this game. Sri Lanka still have Rajapaksa and Shanaka to see this chase home.
Chahal finishes with 3 for 34.
Two in an over for Chahal
Can India fight back after that 97-run opening stand? The opening comes courtesy an attempted reverse sweep from Nissanka. The out of form Asalanka then top-edged a slog sweep and suddenly India find themselves still in the game.
Meanwhile, at the other end Kusal Mendis has reached a 33-ball half-century himself. Sri Lanka need 69 off 42. Still favourites with Bhuvneshwar Kumar having only one over up his sleeve.
33-ball 50 for Nissanka
Prodigious talent living up to his billing. It's been a calculated knock. He's picked his spots, his bowlers and has put Sri Lanka on the path to a famous Asia Cup win over India.
57 in the PowerPlay; SL on the way
Rohit Sharma has problems early in this defence of 173. Arshdeep Singh has been taken for 18 and his slower balls are not sticking to the surface. Rohit turned to Chahal for the sixth over and he gave away 12 too.
It's been smart batting from both Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. They played it cautiously in the first two overs when both Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep found some swing. Thereafter they've been able to hit through the line with gay abandon.
STAT: Back to back 50+ opening partnerships for Sri Lanka. In the 30 previous innings, they have had just a solitary 50+ stand for the first wicket.
India finish with 173
38 from the final 4 overs. 29 off those came of two overs. Madushanka gave away just 4 from the 19th and took two wickets (Pant and Hooda) to finish with outstanding figures of 3 for 24. Karunaratne was excellent too. 2 for 27 for him despite Ashwin taking him for 8 off the last two balls. He should have had three too but Hasaranga dropped a dolly off the final delivery and Ashwin ran two. Could it prove to be crucial ?
Shanaka holds India back
He's gone for a couple of boundaries but also taken two massive wickets. Straight after getting smoked for a six over long-off, he cramps Pandya for room and has him flicking to deep mid-wicket for a simple catch. Shanaka almost has a third too as Hooda falls to a ramp but the third umpire deems that it was a second bouncer of the over. Relief for India.
Only the second time in his T20I career Hasaranga has gone wicketless in back to back matches
Shanaka gets Suryakumar Yadav; India slow down
It's a slower ball bouncer and SKY goes for the instinctive ramp. No pace on it and is caught at short third-man. Shanaka brings himself on to cover for that two overs from Asita Fernando. Instant reward for him.
Suryakumar Yadav this Asia Cup vs HK: 68* off 26 ; vs Pak/SL: 65 off 57 (3 dismissals)
Rohit takes on Hasaranga
It's special not just because of the shot making but also because Rohit has dismantled the opponent's main bowler as well as one who is considered a match-up against the Indian captain.
Hasaranga keeps tossing them up and Rohit is happy to shimmy down and loft , over long and inside-out over extra cover. Two sixes and a four make it an 18-run over.
Sri Lanka though get their break and it's the impressive Chamika Karunaratne who gets Rohit for a 41-ball 72.It's not the best of ball, short and wide, but Rohit finds the sweeper with his cut. End of a fine knock. Respite for Sri Lanka. Karunarate has 1/15 from 3 overs.
Rohit 32-ball 50 leads India's charge
The captain leading the way with a beautiful counter-attack. He's targeted Asita Fernando, who bowls another 14-run over as India go to 79/2 after 10 overs. 33 runs in the last 4 overs post the PowerPlay. Suryakumar Yadav still to get going but India have recovered well after that double setback to start.
The trouble for Sri Lanka is that Hasaranga hasn't looked too effective. Perhaps bowling a little slower than usual. His two overs have gone for 16. He created a half chance to get Rohit though but even Dasun Shanaka flying away to his left wasn't enough to pouch that catch.
India recover in the PowerPlay somewhat...
Rohit Sharma staying true to the batting doctrine he (and the management) have imposed on the team. A pulled six and a cut four of Asita Fernando in a 14-run over gets India going. 44/2 after 6 overs.
Over to the middle overs now and enter Wanindu Hasaranga!
Left-arm pace and spin right away
India's top-order have to tackle two of their bug bears straight away. Shanaka starts with Madushanka and Theekshana. Will Rahul and Rohit take on the offie when the matchup is favourable. He's bowling with long-on and mid-wicket on the fence.
Theekshana gets Rahul early:Rahul chips and lofts one over long-off early but then misses one drifting/swinging in to him at 100kph and catches him on the charge. Umpire rules him out. KL Reviews but 'Umpire's Call' sends him on his way.
Left-arm pace strikes too and it's the in-for Kohli who is gone for a four-ball duck. Smart bowling this, he has two slips for Kohli and lands one straight with a hint of swing back into the batter. Kohli swipes across the line and misses. The ball doesn't miss the stumps. 15/2 after 3 overs. Pressure!
Unchanged SL opt to bowl
India make one tactical change. R. Ashwin comes in for Ravi Bishnoi.
Pitch Update: It's the same strip that was used for the India-Pakistan Super 4 game.
On Virat Kohli...
... Is he back and playing the way this Indian team wants him to? Or did he just play the situation against Pakistan. Good time to revisit this piece from Prakash GV.
Prelude - India vs Sri Lanka
If this is indeed a tune-up series for India ahead of the World Cup, then today's match comes fairly close to the kind of qualifying pressures that the multi-team event in Australia is likely to create. Following their defeat to Pakistan two nights ago, the Asia Cup holders are precariously placed. A defeat today could end their campaign prematurely.
India need a win and despite their overwhelmingly strong record against Sri Lanka in the format, they can be expected to face quite a challenge here against the slow bowers in the opposition rank. They also have a few bowling and balance issues to sort out now that Jadeja has been ruled out of the tournament and looks likely to miss the World Cup too.
Sri Lanka come to this game on the back of a fine chase against Afghanistan. Can they deal a major blow to the defending champions.
This is Kaushik Rangarajan (@kaushik_cb) welcoming you to the live blog of this absorbing fixture. Why don't you guys Tweet to me about the changes you want India to make for this big clash?